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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

A Kind Hello

(Chinese Symbol for Kindness)

I was waiting for my mocha when he walked in. An elderly gentleman, perhaps in his seventies. Seemingly fit and slim, impeccably-dressed, though casual, he wore a sweet smile as he looked up at the board offering the names and prices of the various concoctions. The barista greeted him and offered his assistance. The man smiled. And, for some reason, something about him tugged at my heart.

He seemed a bit lost in this hustle, bustle place … wanting to be a part of it, but not sure what to do.

Was he meeting someone? Was he widowed? Recently? Was he lonely? Did he come to this coffee shop hoping for a friendly smile, a kind word, or was I just reading too much into it?

As I grabbed my cup, thanked the barista, and headed out, I noticed he was now near the door. No drink in hand. His head was down as he worked to get the zipper on his jacket working. I wanted to know that he was taken care of, but it wasn’t really my place.

As I walked by, he looked up at me. His eyes were a beautiful, twinkling blue, but there was a hint of sadness … or maybe loneliness. I smiled and shared a cheerful “Hello!”

I wanted to say more. I wanted to see if he needed anything. But, that would be too forward, too presumptuous … or would it be exactly what he had needed on that very morning?

I left the shop, hoping my smile and simple ‘hello’ was enough.

Have you ever felt that tug at your heart or that lump in your throat just from watching someone that you didn’t even know, sensing there was a need beyond what you could see?

20 comments:

You do wonder if you are overstepping if you do offer change to a stranger or more than a kind hello...But then again, there are some who think they are not overstepping when they criticize or are just plain rude to a stranger!

I've had this same dilemma in the past. It's sad to think that we don't offer help because we've been burned before and are afraid of an awkward exchange. This post makes me want to commit a random act of kindness!

Sometimes. It's hard because you don't want to be too forward, but on the other hand, everyone needs a hand up sometimes. Thank you for sharing this. It made me smile. You're an awesome person, you know that?

It's hard to know when to offer help to a stranger or not in a non-emergency situation. I often find a smile and sincere hello does wonders to break the ice and offer the other person a way to reach out, if needed.

Absolutely! Those encounters haunt me. There was a psychologist/researcher who did an analysis on how we react to those in need. It was interesting. He chose religious leaders, i.e. priests, rabbis, ministers. They were being intereviewed and on the way to the interview passed someone who was lying on the ground in need. The difference was whether they were late or on time. More times than not, those who were late, despite their training, passed by the person in need to make it to their designated apptmt. Sharing hellos and stopping to realize the humanity in someone else is a great way to ground ourselves in our own humanity, I think. Good job!

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Thanks for stopping by to visit my blog! I am an Operations and Human Resources Manager who decided to follow a long-time dream of becoming a picture book author. I also love telling a story with pictures, and am often seen with camera in-hand. I live in the beautiful state of Oregon with my amazing husband, son, and daughter, and a sweet, stubborn, little spaz of a Yorkie who has us all wrapped around his little paw!